Malting apparatus



7 Sheets-Sheet l 1N VEN TOR.

June 5, 1956 E. E. FRAUENHEIM. JR

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MALTING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1955 June 5, 1956 E. E. FRAUENHEIM, JR

MALTING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. /c/warc/Ec/enezn,

Filed March 2, 1955 June 5, 1956 E. E. FRAUENHEIM, JR

MALTING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 2, 1955 A @Af n) INVENTOR. cfa/aref waag/75er@ 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 E. E.' FRAUENHEIM. JR

MALTING APPARATUS `lune 5, 1956 Filed March 2, 1955 June 5, 1956 E. E. FRAUENHEIM, JR

MALTING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 2, 1955 l.C2-Z110??? y.

m m1@ 5 wm 3 3 n a N Q 5 0 5 w 1n 5 f 5 K 5 5 i M Z 5 fk n l C P 5 a .z5 5 5 .E124 m/WL fwn 5 W HEP] M v June 5y 1956 E. E. FRAUENHEIM, JR 2,749,280

MALTING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Shee '7 Filed March 2, 1955 United States Patent O MALTING APPARATUS Edward E. Frauenheim, Jr., Eggertsville, N. Y., assignor to George J. Meyer Malt & Grain Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 2, 1955, Serial No. 491,746

18 Claims. (Cl. 195-128) The present invention relates to malting apparatus, and more particularly to an improvement upon the malting apparatus disclosed in my U. S. Patent No. 2,654,691, granted October 6, 1953.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved malting apparatus which will provide kernels of grain in such condition as to insure increased extract per bushel for the brewer as compared with the product of conventional malting apparatus. To this end, it is a purpose of the invention to provide an improved malting apparatus in which the barley kernels will be handled only once, thus assuring delivery from the apparatus of full, unbroken kernels.

Another object of the invention is to provide a malting apparatus in which the kiln for drying the grain is made part of the same structure in which the grain is germinated.

Another object of the invention is to provide malting apparatus in which maximum efciency so far as use of heat from the kiln will be attained. To this end, it is a purpose of the invention to provide a structure in which the flue, which exhausts hot gases from the kiln furnaces, is employed for heating the air which circulates through the germinating compartments or chambers.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus wherein the flow of air through the grain during germination may be reversed in order to insure more thorough aeration of the grain.

A still further object of the invention is to provide apparatus which is so designed that a portion of the air which has been circulated through the grain may be recirculated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a malting apparatus comprising steeping sections, germinating sections, and a drying kiln section and which will be most compact.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for the purpose described wherein the grain to be malted is successively steeped, germinated and dried in a plurality of compartments which are arranged one above another so that the grain may flow by gravity from compartment to compartment until the malting operation has been completed and the grain has been dried.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which is so designed that a minimum of power will be required for its operation and maintenance cost also minimized.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing malting apparatus built according to one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through the upper end of the vertical column or grain-treating tower Patented June 5, 1956 of this apparatus, and showing particularly the steep tanks, and the upper end of the germinating section;

Fig. 3 is also a fragmentary vertical section through the column or tower, and showing the lower part of the column or tower, and, more particularly, the lowermost portion of the germinating section and the drying kilns;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary transverse section through the column or tower taken in the same plane as Fig. 6, but showing the flap valves, which control the direction of air flow through the germinating chambers, at their opposite positions from the positions shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. ll is a fragmentary section on the line 11-11 of Fig. l0 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary section on the line 12--12 of Fig. 10 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary section on the line 14-14 of Fig. l2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The apparatus, as illustrated in Fig. 1, comprises an elevator shaft or housing 20, and a column, or tower 2l. The stack or tower 21 houses the steep tanks 22 (Fig. 2), the germinating compartments or chambers 24 (Figs. 2 and 3), the drying compartments or bins 25 (Fig. 3), and the furnaces 26 (Fig. 3).

The tower or stack 21 is cylindrical in shape. The furnaces 26 are at the bottom of this stack or tower. There may be eight of these furnaces arranged in pairs, as shown in Fig. 9, adjacent pairs of furnaces being spaced ninety degrees from one another. Fresh combustion air is admitted to the furnaces through the gratings 2S (Fig. l) in the bottom of the tower.

Mounted in the tower above the furnaces are two series or tiers of drying bins 25 (Fig. 3). The bins 2S of one series or tier are disposed above the bins of the other series or tier. The upper tier of drying bins is denoted at 30, while the lower tier of drying bins is denoted at 31. In each tier there are thirty-two drying bins, there being four groups of eight bins each, each group being spaced ninety degrees apart from the next group, as shownin Fig. 8. The outside cylindrical wall 35 of the tower is supported and spaced from a central, tubular, cylindrical supporting column 37 by four partition walls 36 (Fig. 8), which are disposed 90 apart and which extend radially outwardly from the central supporting column 37. There are four drying bins of the tier 30, and four drying bins of the tier 31 disposed in radial sequence at each side of each of these Walls 36, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 8. The bins of tier 30 are directly above the corresponding bins of tier 31.

The drying bins 25 of the upper tier 30 are closed at their bottoms by gates 41B (Fig. 3). The gates and the baffles, respectively, may be like the finned rolls 39 and 4i), and the baffles 43, respectively, of my Patent No. 2,654,691 above mentioned; or they may be of any other suitable construction.

The drying bins 25 of the lower tier 31 may be closed l by similar gates (not shown), which when opened dump the grain from the several drying bins 25 of the lower tier 31 onto screw conveyors 42, that may be driven from any suitable source of power through gearing such as shown in Fig. 9. The conveyor screws 4.2 for the adjacent bins of two adjacent groups of bins of the lower tier 31 are driven, as illustrated in Fig. 9, by a motor 50, a. chain drive 51, and right angularly disposed shafts 52 and 53, the shaft S2 driving the shaft 53 through a pair of right angle helical gears 54. Each of the shafts 52 and 53 drives four of the conveyor screws 42 through four corresponding pairs of bevel mitre gears "5. The drive engagement for the screw conveyors 'nay be such that all may be operated simultaneously, or may be operated individually, as desired;

The drying bins 25 have foranrinous front and rear walls, made of screening, or perforated plate, as desired, to permit free circulation of drying air through the bins.

The bins 25 of the upper tier 39 are arranged to dump the grain therefrom into the bins 25 of the lower tier 31; and, when the gates of the lower series of bins are opened, and the screw conveyors 42 are Lcurated, the grain from adjacent bins of two adjacent groups of lower bins is delivered into a storage hopper There are four of these storage hoppers 45 in the bottom of the tower 21 disposed at ninety degrees apart, and between the different pairs of furnaces, as shown in Fig. 9.

The hot gases for drying the grain in the bins 25 are supplied by the furnaces 26. There are two vertically disposed ducts 6i) (Fig. 9) connected to each of the furnaces. These ducts deliver the hot gases into compartments, cach extending through an angle of 9G about column 37, and each defined by two adjacent radial walls 36 of the tower and by the horizontal, verticallyspaced floors 62 and 64 of the tower (Fig. 3). Eafies 65 are mounted between radially adjacent bins 25 of the lower tier 31 midway of the heights of the bins 25 of this lower tier 31; and similar baffles 66 are disposed between radially adjacent bins 25 of the upper tier 30. These baffles serve to deflect the hot gases rising from the furnaces and cause them to travel first outwardly, and then inwardly through both tiers of bins, as shown by the directional arrows in Fig. 3, with respect to the two tiers of drying bins in the left hand quarter of the tower. The hot gases travel in similar manner through the bins in the two tiers in each of the other three quadrants around the tower.

The upper tier 30 of drying bins 25 is in a compartment separated by the oor 63 (Figs. l and 3) from the compartment in which the lower tier 31 of the drying bins is mounted. Floor 63 is parallel to and intermediate floors 62 and 64.

Communicating with the spaces between the bins 25 of the upper tier 30, at the upper ends of those spaces, are ducts 79 (Figs. 3 and S), which conduct the hot gases from the bins into the iue 71, as shown by the directional arrows in Fig. 8. The ue 71 is disposed centrally of a tubular supporting column '72 (Fig. 3), that is supported from the door 64 (Fig. 3) of the tower, and that aligns axially with the tubular supporting column 37 previously described, which is in the lower per tion of the tower.

The hot gases are drawn upwardly by a conventional fan 75 (Figs. 2 and 4) which is mounted on the uppermost floor 76 (Fig. 2) of the tower, and which may be driven by a motor 77. The hot gases flow from the stack 71 through a radial duct 73, and arc exhausted by the fan 75 outwardly through the chimney 79 (Fig. l), which is covered by a conventional cap Si).

The grain, which is to be matted, is conveyed to the top of the tower 21 by a grain elevator 85 (Fig. l), and is dumped from the elevator through a chute 86 into troughs 88. Feed screw conveyors S7 (Fig. 4) serve to convey and to distribute the grain through the troughs which are arranged in the general form of a square as shown in Fig. 4. The conveyor' screws :37 may be driven by individual motor and chain drives denoted generally at 90, 91, or they may be driven iu unison from a single source of power. The grain is delivered from the troughs 88 into the steep tanks 22 when the gates 92 (Fig. 2) in the conveyors are opened. These gates may be operated manually or by power, as desired.

There are in the embodiment of the invention shown two steep tanks 22 associated with each conveyor trough 8S, and a gate in each trough 88 for each steep tank.

There are, as already stated, two tiers of steep tanks, an upper' tier 95 and a lower tier 96 (Fig. 2). There are eight steep tanks in each tier, and the steep tanks of one tier are disposed vertically above the steep tanks of the other tier. The steep tanks are mounted between the floors 97, 98, and 99 of the tower, and may be supported therefrom in any suitable manner. The steep tanks may be of conventional construction, and may be closed at their bottoms by gates or valves 100.

rfhe steep tanks 22 may be operated on any desired time cycle. lf the time cycle is twentyfour hours, as is ordinarily preferred, then every twenty-four hours, the gates 180 of the steep tanks of the upper tier 95 are opened and the contents of these steep tanks are dumped into the registering steep tanks 22 of the lower tier 96; and every twenty-four hours the gates lili) of the steep tanks 22 of the lower tier 96 are opened to dump their contents below. After the steep tanks of the upper tier have been emptied, they may be refilled by opening gates 92 (Fig. 2) and operating conveyor screws 87 (Fig. 4).

The steep tanks of the lower tier 96 deliver the steeped grain through pipes or tubes 102 (Fig. 2) to feed worms 104 that lie below floor 105 and that deliver the grain into the germinating chambers 24 of the uppermost germinating compartment (Fig. l).

There are any desired number of germinating compartments vertically in the tower. Assuming a six day germinating period for the grain, there would be six germinating compartments arranged vertically, one above the other. The several germinating compartments are ail alike and are denoted at 110, 111, 112, 113, 114 and 115, respectively, in Fig. l.

The feed screws 104, which deliver the grain from the steep tanks into the germinating chambers 24 of the uppermost compartment 110 are driven from four vercal shafts (Figs. 2 and 7) that are disposed one in each of the four quadrants of the tower. Each shaft 120 drives a parallel vertical shaft 123 through a pair of spur gears 121, 122. Each shaft 123 drives the two adjacent feed screws 104 through the bevel mitre gears 125', and the bevel mitre gears 126 (Fig. 7).

l'n each of the germinating compartments 110 to 115 there are eight germinating chambers 24. These are arranged in a square around the circular column 72. The inner and outer walls of each germinating chamber are fcraminous to permit circulation of air therethrough. Each germinating chamber is closed at its bottom by a gate comprising a pair of hollow longitudinally finned rolls (Fig. 2), and a perforated stationary baffle 126 like the rolls 39 and 40 and battles 43, respectively, of my prior patent above mentioned.

The apparatus contemplates aeration o fthe grain in each germinating compartment or chamber for a predetermined period after which the gate at the bottom of the compartment is opened so that the grain may be transferred by gravity to the next adjacent lower compartment and treated for a predetermined period, and so on, compartment by compartment, down through the germinating section of the tower. For example, the grain may be permitted to germinate for one day in the chambers of each of the compart ments 11i) to 115, thereby providing a germinating period 0f six days, after which the grain is delivered into the drying bins for drying.

The finned rolls 125 of the gates are operated when it is desired to open the gates, or to close them, from the drive shafts 120 by coupling the drive members of the bevel mitre gears 139, 131 (Fig. 2) to the shafts 120 by conventional couplings 132. As in the case of the feed screws 104 (Fig. 7), each shaft 120 drives the gearing for operating two adjacent gates 125. The rolls 125 of each gate are driven by two meshing spur gears, one of which is secured to the shaft of one of two cooperating rolls 125, which shaft also carries the bevel mitre gear 131 (Fig. 2), and the other of which is secured to the shaft of the other of the pair of cooperating rolls 125. The latter spur gear meshes with the first described spur gear.

When the gates 125 (Fig. 3) of the germinating bins of the lowermost compartment 115 are opened, the desired germinating period for a batch of grain will have been accomplished, and the grain will dump by gravity into the distributors 127, each of which delivers the grain from one germinating chamber 24 of compartment 115 to four drying bins 25 of the upper tier 30 of the drying section as shown in Fig. 3.

Air may be drawn from the outside into the tower 21 through louvers 146 (Fig. l). These communicate with the air-conditioning chambers 141 (Fig. 6). Each of these chambers may be provided with a refrigerating unit 142, a heater 143, and with spray pipes 144 to condition the air for use prior to its passage through the germinating chambers 24.

Each air-conditioning chamber 142 forms part of a duct 145. There are four air conditioning chambers equispaced angularly about the tower and four cooperating ducts 145. Mounted in each duct 145 are two pivotally mounted flap valves 147. When the ap valves 147 of a duct 145 are in the full line positions shown in Fig. 6, that duct 145 communicates at opposite sides with two ducts 156 that extend radially outwardly along the opposed sides of two adjacent radial walls or partitions 36.

Each duct 150 communicates with a vertical duct 151 (Fig. 7), which is formed between the outside wall 35 of the tower, and a vertical wall 153 (Figs. 2 and 7). There are louvers 155 in each of the vertical walls 153 registering with each of the germinating chambers 24. There are also four louvers 156 in the cylindrical column 72 registering with each of the compartments 11i) to 115. Louvers 156 are equi-angularly spaced around column 72 and permit the air drawn into the louvers 155 to pass through the registering germinating chambers 24 and through the associated louvers 156 into the column 72, or vice versa.

Mounted in the column 72, at the level of the air-conditioning units 141 and secured to the inside of the column 72 and to the outside of the stack 71 are four lower segmental plates 166 (Figs. l0 and 13) and four upper segmental plates 161 axially spaced above plates 166. The segmental plates 161) and 161 alternate with one another as shown in Fig. 1G. Protruding from the stack 71 in equiangularly spaced relation therearound are eight iins 163.

When the valves 147 are in the positions shown in Fig. 6, the air entering the column 72 through the louvers 156 (Fig. 7) and rising in the column 72 is deliected by the plates 161 (Figs. 10 and 13) through the spaces between the associated iins 163 and the flap valves 147 and up into the upper portions of the annular space 164 around the flue 71 between the ue and the column 72. This space is unobstructed above the plates 160 and 161. It is pulled up this space by a fan 165 (Fig. 4), which pulls the air from this space through the duct 166, and exhausts part of the air to atmosphere through the duct 167, which communicates with the stack 169 (Fig. 1), which is covered by the cap 170. Part of the air rising in the space 164 is, however, recirculated through the system, there being a duct or manifold 172 (Fig. 4) which leads from the same side of the fan as the duct 167, and which communicates with that duct. The manifold is connected by downwardly extending ducts 173 (Fig. 2) with the ducts 145 (Fig. 6).

To circulate the air in the opposite direction through the germinating chambers, it is only necessary to pivot the valves 147 from the positions shown in Fig. 6 to the positions shown in Fig. 10. Then the air drawn from the outside through the louvers 146 (Fig. 6), refrigerator units 142, heater units 143, and sprays 144, and the air from the recirculating ducts 173, is forced downwardly by reason of the positions of the valves 147 (Fig. l0) and by reason of the plates 161 (Fig. 13) through the space 174 surrounding the stack 71, through the louvers 156 (Fig. 7), the germinating chambers 24, the louvers 155, the ducts 151, the ducts (Fig. 6), and by reason of the positions of the flap valves 147 (Fig. l0) and the plates 161) (Fig. 13) up into the space 164 between the column 72 and the stack 71 (Fig. 13), and out of this space 164 at the top through the duct 166 (Fig. 4). As before, part of this air is forced by fan out the stack 169 through the duct 167 (Figs. 4 and l), and part is recirculated through the manifold 172, and ducts 173 which connect with the ducts 145. Thus, by simply shifting the valves 147, the air can be drawn through the germinating bins 24 in either direction, outwardly or inwardly.

One of the features of the present invention is the conservation of some of the heat produced by the iiue gases in the stack 71. This stack is enclosed by pivoted insulating segments (Figs. 4, 5 and 7). These segments are shown in full lines in Fig. 7 in closed position, and in dotted lines in open position. Each comprises an arcuate metal plate to the inside of which there is secured suitable insulating material that contacts the stack 71 when the plates are closed.

The plates around the upper part of the flue 71 may be opened by any suitable means, such as the Huid-pressure operated power actuators 182 (Fig. 5), each of which may comprise a duid-pressure operating piston reciprocable in a cylinder and connected to a piston rod 133 which is pivotally connected at 184 with a lug 135 which is secured to each plate 130. The plates 180 around the lower part of the stack 71 may be operated in similar manner.

By opening the plates 180 around either the upper or the lower part of the stack 71, it can be seen that the heat of the flue gases passing through the stack and radiated from the iiue will heat the air circulating in the space between the stack and the column 72, in either direction of flow of the air `stream to the germinating bins. When the air stream is owing through the germinating bins from outside to inside, the air heated by the ilue will flow through the recirculating ducts 173 (Figs. 4 and 2) to the ducts 145. The heat generated by ue 71 may be suicient alone to maintain the desired temperature of the air circulating through the germinating bins, or it may be augmented by turning on the heaters 143 (Fig. 6). When the air is flowing through the germinating bins in the opposite direction, that is, from inside to outside, and the segments 186 around the lower portion of the flue 71 are open, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, the air will again be heated by convection from the iiue 71 before it passes through the germinating bins; and again this heat may be sufficient alone to maintain the desired temperature for germination in the germinating bins in a given quadrant of a germinating compartment, or, if necessary, may be augmented by the associated heater 143 (Fig. 6).

The dampers 147 may be operated by any suitable means, such as the Huid-pressure actuated power operators 196 shown in Fig. 14. Each fluid-pressure actuator 190 comprises a cylinder and a piston which reciprocates therein, the cylinder being pivotally connected to a link 192 which in turn is connected to the pivot 193 for one of a pair of dampers 147, and the piston being connected, through the piston rod 194, pivotally with a link 195 which is connected to the pivot 196 for the other of that pair of dampers 147.

If desired, the louvers 155 and 156 in each of the germinating compartments can be made movable, like the iiap valves 97 and 98 of my prior patent above mentioned;

and these louvers may be controlled by temperature sensitive elements located in the germinating bins of the respective compartments,` like the temperature sensitive elements 103 of my prior patent mentioned, and thereby the volume of air which is caused to circulate through cach columner section in each of the various germinating compartments may be regulated in accordance with the temperature of the grain in that section.

Furthermore, it will be seen that since the germinating bins 24 in each compartment 110 to 115 are arranged in pairs in four quadrants around column 72 as shown in Fig. 7, the aerating medium may be circulated radially outwardly in one quadrant of any compartment 110 to 115 and radially inwardly in another quadrant of that compartment. Moreover the aerating medium may be circulated in ditferent directions in different compartments, and in fact, may be differently conditioned prior to circulation through the different germinating bins of the different quadrants of the different compartments of the germinating section of the tower. Thereby, dilferent types of grains may be treated simultaneously in the tower.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the steeped grain will be subjected in each of the several quadrants of the various germinating compartments to the action of an aerating medium of a predetermined temperature and having a predetermined moisture content. The treatment received in each quadrant of each compartment may be regulated and controlled in accordance with the condition of grain in that quadrant. The apparatus may be so regulated, therefore, that as the grain is discharged from the lowermost germinating compartments to the drying bins it will have acquired the desired characteristics.

With the apparatus of the present invention, it will be seen that only one handling of the grain is required. It is moved by the elevator S (Fig. 1) to the top of the tower 21, and conveyed by the screw conveyors 87 (Fig. 4) to the steep tanks 22 in the upper tier 95. it remains in these steep tanks for a predetermined period, say twenty-four hours. Then the gates 16E) at the bottoms of these steep tanks (Fig. 2) are opened, and the grain is dumped into the steep tanks 22 of the lower tier 96. It may remain in these latter tanks for a day also, then the gates 1Go at the bottoms of these steep tanks are opened; and the grain is dumped through the conduits 162 to the conveyors 194 which distribute the grain into the germinating bins 24 of the upper compartment llt) (Fig. 1).

After remaining a day in these germinating bins, the gates 125 (Fig. 2) of these bins may be opened, to dump the grain into the bins in the next lower compartment lll. it may remain there again another twenty-four hours. and then the gates in the bins of that compartment l may be opened to dump the grain into the bins i12 of the next lower compartment. So the grain procecds through the bins 24 of the successive compartments llt), 111, i12, E13, 114 and 115. When the twentytour hours of germination in the bins 24 of the lowerinost compartment le' is completed, the gates 125 (Fig. '.l) of the bins 24 of that tier may be opened, to dump the grain through the distributors iZ into the drying bins of the upper tier 3d. After the grain has been dried for a day, in the drying bins of the upper tier 3d, the gates 40 of these bins may be opened, to dump the grain info the drying bins 25 of the lower tier 3?.. After pas- .ff anothe twenty-four hours, the s of the drying bins of the. lower tier .'51 may be opened, and the grain may carried away by the conveyors 42 and dumped into the storage bins 45 in the four corners of the tower.

With this construction extreme efficiency is attained. The grain is subjected to a minimum of handling, and therefore the possibility of damaging the grain is reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, a minimum of moving parts is required since gravity is relied upon to transfer the grain from the steep tanks to the germinating bins, and to the drying bins successively. Still further, a minimum of space is needed for the structure since the whole of the structure is builtl around a central flue leading from the furnaces. Furthermore, maximum efficiency in use of the heat generated by the furnaces is achieved since this heat is employed not only to dry the grain, but may be employed to secure the proper temperature for germination.

The apparatus described has the advantage that it enables grain to be malted in a highly economical manner.

The shape and arrangement of the tower or column throught which the grain passes may be varied considerably. It may be multi-sided, instead of cylindrical, for instance, if desired.

While the time period for germination has been described as six days, with the grain remaining in each series of germinating bins for twenty'four hours before being moved to the next lower series of germinating bins, it will be obvious that the period of germination, and the period of operation of the whole apparatus may be varied at will. It may be increased to two days for each step, or it may be decreased to twelve hours, or to six hours, or may be even made continuous.

While the invention has been described, therefore, in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification; and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what l claim is:

1. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a germinat ing chamber in which grain is germinated, a drying bin in which grain is dried after germination, said germinating chamber being arranged vertically above said drying bin, and means for connecting said germinating chamber with said drying bin whereby grain may be discharged by gravity from said germinating chamber into said drying bin.

2. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a germinating chamber in which grain is germinated, a drying bin in which grain is dried after germination, said germinating chamber being arranged vertically above said drying bin, means for connecting said germinating chamber with said drying bin whereby grain may be discharged by gravity from said germinating chamber into said drying bin, a furnace disposed vertically beneath said drying bin, and means connecting said furnace with said drying bin to convey heated air from said furnace upwardly to and through said drying bin.

3. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a steep tank in which grain is steeped, a germinating chamber in which grain is germinated, a drying bin in which grain is dried, said steep tank being arranged vertically above said germinating chamber, and said germinating chamber being arranged vertically above said drying bin, means for connecting said steep tank with said germinating chamber and means for connecting said germinating chamber with said drying bin whereby grain may be discharged by gravity from said steep tank into said germinating chamber and into said drying bin, and means for supplying drying atmosphere to said drying bin.

4. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a plurality of steep tanks arranged vertically one above another in vertical alignment so that an upper steep tank may discharge grain by gravity into the next lower steep tank, a plurality of germinating chambers arranged vertically one above another in vertical alignment so that an upper germinating chamber may discharge grain by gravity into the next lower germinating chamber, a plurality of drying bins arranged vertically above one another so that grain may be discharged by gravity from an upper drying bin into the next lower drying bin, the uppermost of said germinating chambers being disposed vertically below the lowermost of said steep tanks and the uppermost of said drying bins being disposed vertically below the lowermost of said germinating chambers, means for connecting said lowermost steep tank with said uppermost germinating chamber so that grain may be discharged by gravity from said lowermost steep tank into said uppermost germinating chamber, means for connecting said lowermost germinating chamber with said uppermost drying bin so that grain may be discharged by gravity from said lowermost germinating chamber into said uppermost drying bin, and closure means normally preventing discharge of the grain from the several steep tanks, germinating chambers, and drying bins, said closure means being operable to permit successive gravity discharge of said steep tanks, germinating chambers and drying bins beginning with the lowermost of said drying bins and ending with the uppermost of said steep tanks.

5. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a plurality of germinating chambers arranged vertically one above another in vertical alignment so that an upper germinating chamber may discharge grain by gravity into the next lower germinating chamber, a plurality of drying bins arranged vertically above one another so that grain may be discharged by gravity from an upper drying bin into the next lower drying bin, the uppermost of said drying bins being disposed vertically below the lowermost of said germinating chambers, means for connecting said lowermost germinating chamber with said uppermost drying bin so that grain may be discharged by gravity from said lowermost germinating chamber into said uppermost drying bin, and closure means normally preventing discharge of the grain from the several germinating chambers and drying bins, said closure means being operable to permit successive gravity discharge of said germinating chambers and drying bins beginning with the lowermost of said drying bins and continuing to the uppermost of said germinating chambers.

6. Apparatus for melting grain comprising a tower, a furnace in the bottom of said tower, a ilue disposed centrally of said tower, a plurality of steep tanks arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said liuc, a plurality of germinating chambers arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said ilue and disposed vertically below said steep tanks, a plurality of drying bins arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about the axis of said ilue and disposed vertically below said germinating chambers and vertically above said furnace, means for connecting said steep tanks with said germinating chambers for gravity discharge of grain from said steep tanks into said germinating chambers, means for connecting said germinating chambers with said drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from said germinating chambers into said drying bins, and means for conducting heated air and gases from said furnace to said liuc through said drying bins.

7. Apparatus for melting grain comprising a tower, a furnace in the bottom of said tower, a flue disposed centrally of said tower, a column surrounding said flue and spaced radially therefrom to provide an annular space therebetween, a plurality of steep tanks arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said column, a plurality of germinating chambers arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said column and disposed vertically below said steep tanks, a plurality of drying bins arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about the axis of said column and disposed vertically below said germinating chambers and vertically above said furnace, means for connecting said steep tanks with said germinating chambers for gravity discharge of grain from said steep tanks into said germinating chambers, means for connecting said germinating chambers with said drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from said germinating chambers into said drying bins, means for conducting heated air and gases from said furnace through said drying bins into said flue, and means for causing ow of an aerating medium between said germinating chambers and said annular space.

8. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a furnace in the bottom of said tower, a flue disposed centrally of said tower, a column surrounding said ue and spaced radially therefrom to provide an annular space therebetween, a plurality of steep tanks arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said column, a plurality of germinating chambers arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said column and disposed vertically below said steep tanks, a plurality of drying bins arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about the axis of said column and disposed vertically below said germinating chambers and vertically above said furnace, means for connecting said `steep tanks with said germinating chambers for gravity discharge of grain from said steep tanks into said germinating chambers, means for connecting said germinating chambers with said drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from said germinating chambers into said drying bins, means for conducting heated air and gases from said furnace through said drying bins into said flue, and means for causing flow of an aerating medium between said germinating chambers and said annular space, and movable means for normally insulating said flue thermally from said annular space, said movable means being operable to permit radiation of heat from said flue to said aerating medium.

9. Apparatus for melting grain comprising a tower, a furnace in the bottom of said tower, a flue disposed centrally of said tower, a column surrounding said ue and spaced radially therefrom to provide an annular space therebetween, a plurality of steep tanks arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said column, a plurality of germinating chambers arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said column and disposed Vertically below said steep tanks, a plurality of drying bins :arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about the axis of said column and disposed vertically below said germinating chambers and vertically above said furnace, means for connecting said steep tanks with said germinating chambers for gravity discharge of grain from said steep tanks into said germinating chambers, means for connecting said germinating chambers with said drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from said germinating chambers into said drying bins, means for conducting heated air and gases from said furnace through said drying bins into said iiue, a fan for circulating an aerating medium through said annular space in either direction between said germinating chambers and said annular space, movable means normally insulating said ilue thermally from said annular space, said movable means being operable to permit radiation of heat from said flue to said aerating medium.

10. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a furnace in the bottom of said tower, a flue disposed centrally of said tower, a column surrounding said flue and spaced radially therefrom to provide an annular space therebetween, a plurality of steep tanks arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said column, a plurality of germinating chambers arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about said column and disposed vertically below said steep tanks, a plurality of drying bins arranged in said tower in angularly spaced relation about the aXis of said column and disposed vertically below said germinating chambers and vertically above said furnace, means for connecting said steep tanks with said germinating chambers for gravity discharge of grain from said steep tanks into said germinating chambers, means for connecting said germinating chambers with said drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from said germinating chambers into said drying bins, means for conducting heated air and gases from said furnace through said drying bins into said ue, a fan in the top of said tower and a duct system connected to said fan for circulating and for recirculating an aerating medium through said annular space in either direction between said germinating chambers and said annular space and for discharging part of said aerating medium continuously to atmosphere, means connected with said duct system for supplying outside air to said duct system, movable means normally insulating said flue thermally from said annular space, said movable means being operable to permit radiation of heat from said flue to said aerating medium,

ll. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a furnace in said tower, a steep tank in said tower, a germinating chamber in said tower disposed vertically below said steep tank, a drying bin in said tower disposed vertically below said germinating chamber, means for connecting said steep tank with said germinating chamber to permit gravity discharge of grain from said steep tank into said germinating chamber, means for connecting said germinating chamber with said drying bin for gravity discharge of grain from said germinating chamber into said drying bin, means for circulating hot air from sair furnace through said drying bin, means for passing an nei-ating medium through said germinating chamber, and means whereby the hot air from said furnace may be used to heat said aerating medium prior to its passage through said germinating chamber.

l2. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a furnace in said tower, a steep tank in said tower, a germinating chamber in said tower disposed vertically below said steep tank, a drying bin in said tower dis- 3- posed vertically below said germinating chamber, means for connecting said steep tank with said germinating chamber to permit gravity discharge of grain from said steep tank into said germinating chamber, means for connecting said germinating chamber with said drying chamber in either direction, and means whereby the hot air from said furnace may be used to heat said aerating medium prior to its passage through said germinating chamber in one direction at least.

13. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a plurality of furnaces in the bottom of said tower, a plurality of drying bins mounted in said tower above said furnaces and arranged in spaced groups, a diierent group being associated with each different furnace, a ilue disposed centrally of said tower, means connecting each furnace with its group of drying bins to cause heated air from the furnace to travel through its associated group of drying bins and thence into said flue, a column surrounding said flue and spaced radially therefrom, a plurality of germinating chambers surrounding said co1- umn and spaced angularly thereabout and disposed vertically above said drying bins, said germinating chambers being arranged in groups, the number of germinating chambers in a group being smaller than the number of drying bins in a group, means connecting each germinating chamber to a group of drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from the germinating chamber into the group cf drying bins, a plurality of steep tanks disposed angularly about said column in angularly spaced relation and cach disposed vertically above and in vertical registry with a germinating chamber for gravity discharge of grain from cach steep tank into an associated germinating chamber, and means for circulating an aerating medium selectively in either direction between the germinating chambers or" each group and said annular space,

t4. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a plurality of furnaces in the bottom of said tower, a plurality of drying bins mounted in said tower above said furnaces and arranged in spaced groups, a different group being associated with each different furnace, a line disposed centrally of said tower, means connecting each furnace with its group of drying bins to cause heated air from the furnace to travel through its associated group of drying bins and thence into said tlue, a column surrounding said flue and spaced radially therefrom, a plurality of germinating chambers surrounding said column and spaced angularly thereabout and disposed vertically above said drying bins, means for connecting each germinating chamber with a group of drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from the germinating chamber into the associated group of drying bins, a plurality of steep tanks disposed angularly about said column in angularly spaced relation above said germinating chambers, means connecting the steep tanks for gravity discharge of grain from said steep tanks into said germinating chambers, means for drawing air from the outside and for conditioning it and for passing it through said germinating chambers into the space between said column and said flue, and means for drawing air out of said space and for recirculating part of it through said germinating chambers and for discharging the rest of it to atmosphere.

15. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a plurality of furnaces in the bottom of said tower, a plurality of drying bins mounted in said tower above said furnaces and arranged in spaced groups, a different group being associated with each different furnace, a tlue disposed centrally of said tower, means connecting each furnace with its group of drying bins to cause heated air from the furnace to travel through its associated group of drying bins and thence into said tlue, a column surrounding said flue and spaced radially therefrom, a plurality of germinating chambers surrounding said column and spaced angularly thereabout and disposed vertically above said drying bins, means for connecting each germimating chamber with a group of drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from the germinating chamber into the associated group of drying bins, a plurality of steep tanks disposed angularly about said column in angularly spaced relation above said germinating chambers, means connecting the steep tanks for gravity discharge of grain from said steep tanks into said germinating chambers, means for drawing air from the outside and for conditioning it and for passing it in either direction through said germinating chambers and between said germinating chambers to and from the space between said column and said flue, means normally insulating said ue thermally from said space, and means for rendering said insulating means inoperative so that said ue heats the air in said space by radiation prior to passage of this air through the germinating chambers.

16. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a plurality of furnaces in the bottom of said tower, a plurality of drying bins mounted in said tower above said furnaces and arranged in spaced groups, a different group being associated with each different furnace, a flue disposed centrally of said tower, means connecting each furnace with its group of drying bins to cause heated air from the furnace to travel through its associated group of drying bins and thence into said flue, a column surrounding said flue and spaced radially therefrom, a plurality of germinating chambers surrounding said column and disposed in angularly spaced relation thereabout and arranged in separate groups, means for connecting each germinating chamber with a group of drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from the germinating chamber into the associated group of drying bins, and means for circulating air in either direction between each group of germinating chambers and the space around said flue between said ilue and said column.

17. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a plurality of furnaces in the bottom of said tower, a plurality of drying bins mounted in said tower above said furnaces and arranged in spaced groups, a different group being associated with each different furnace, a flue disposed centrally of said tower, means connecting each furnace with its group of drying bins to cause heated air from the furnace to travel through its associated group of drying bins and thence into said ue, a column surrounding said flue and spaced radially therefrom, a plurality of germinating chambers surrounding said column and disposed in angularly spaced relation thereabout and arranged in separate groups, means for connecting each germinating chamber with a group of drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from the germinating chamber into the associated group of drying bins, and means for circulating air in either direction between each group of germinating chambers and the space around said ue between said ue and said column, and separate means for controlling the temperature of the air owing through the last-named means.

18. Apparatus for malting grain comprising a tower, a plurality of furnaces in the bottom of said tower, a

plurality of drying bins mounted in said tower above saidJ furnaces and arranged in spaced groups, a different group being associated with each diierent furnace, a flue disposed centrally of said tower, means connecting each furnace with its group of drying bins to cause heated air from the furnace to travel through its associated group of drying bins and thence into said ue, a column sur rounding said ue and spaced radially therefrom, a plu rality of germinating chambers surrounding said columny and disposed in angularly spaced relation thereabout and arranged in separate groups, means for connecting each germinating chamber with a group of drying bins for gravity discharge of grain from the germinating chambers into the associated groups of drying bins, a plurality of steep tanks disposed above said germinating chambers in angularly spaced relation about said column and in vertical registry with the different germinating chambers for gravity discharge of grain from said steep tanks into the germinating chambers, a separate duct system for circulating air through each group of germinating chambers in either direction between the group of germinating chambers and the space between said column and said tine, means connecting each said duct system with the outside air to draw outside air into said duct system, means for conditioning air drawn into each duct system before its passage through the group of germinating chambers associated with that duct system, a fan at the top of said tower for causing flow of the air in the several duct systems, separate means in each duct system for controlling the direction of flow of air therein, and means whereby said flue may heat the air owing n the space between said flue and said column before the air flows through a group of germinating chambers.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,654.691 Frauenheim Oct. 6, 1953 

1. APPARATUS FOR MAKING GRAIN COMPRISING A GERMINATING CHAMBER IN WHICH GRAIN IS GERMINATED, A DRYING BIN IN WHICH GRAIN IS DRIED AFTER GERMINATION, SAID GERMINATING CHAMBER BEING ARRANGED VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID DRYING BIN, AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID GERMINATING CHAMBER WITH SAID DRYING BIN WHEREBY GRAIN MAY BE DISCHARGED BY GRAVITY FROM SAID GERMINATING CHAMBER INTO SAID DRYING BIN. 